In modern home-based security systems, sensors are typically installed throughout a home for detecting “emergency” events such as fire, smoke, break-in, excessive levels of carbon monoxide, etc. When such an event is detected, sensors send an alert message to a local security panel, where the event is evaluated to determine whether to notify authorities. If so, an alarm signal is sent to a remote monitoring center or third party. In the past, such alarm signals were transmitted primarily over telephone wires, aka the “plain old telephone system” or POTS. However, modern-day security systems are now capable of transmitting wirelessly, over circuit-switched cellular networks. However, signals transmitted on such wireless networks are not typically transmitted directly to remote monitoring centers, as today's remote monitoring centers generally lack the resources needed to receive the wireless signals and convert them into a format compatible with their legacy systems. Thus, cellular alarm signals sent from modern-day security panels are typically transmitted to intermediate, third-party enterprises, that convert the cellular signals into a format compatible with remote monitoring centers, and then send the converted signals to the remote monitoring centers via a dedicated communication channel or a public network, such as the Internet.
Some modern security panels are capable of transmitting on both the POTS network and cellular-switched networks. However, only one mode of transmission is typically enabled at any given time. Thus, every alarm signal sent by the security panel is transmitted the same way every time, no matter whether the event is of an urgent nature (such as detection of smoke or fire), or a non-urgent nature (such as a “battery low” condition of one of the system sensors). In the case of a life-threatening event, delays or outages of one particular communication network could mean that urgent help is delayed or never provided.
It would be desirable to consider whether an alarm signal is of an urgent nature or not and, if so, ensure that the proper authorities are notified in the most expedient and reliable method possible.